Saturday, June 13, 2015

A 'Snap' decision

If you are pondering on buying a new camera and are debating
whether to go for a point and shoot or a DSLR, then this article is not for
you. There are umpteen number of sites on the web which point out the features
and advantages / disadvantages of DSLR’s over point-and-shoots which should
help you make your choice. But if you are still not able to zoom in on your
preferred model despite the plethora of advice available online, then here’s my
two cents below. Hope this helps.

I am normally a quiet and introverted person by nature,
someone who likes to go by the book. But sometimes, I have surprised myself and
my near and dear ones by rebelling against conservative thought and making
unexpected decisions. My choice to purchase a DSLR against a traditional point
and shoot was one of them. Mind you, when I purchased my
first DSLR, I did not even know its’ full form. Photographic technical terms
such as Shutter speed, ISO, Aperture, exposure, depth of field etc. were
totally alien to me. I was a new born baby in the world of photography trying
to rub shoulders with giants. And why did I make that choice in the first
place? Call it some kind of inner impulse or something, but I am eternally
thankful to God for putting that idea in my head.

It so happened that one day, I had some spare cash in hand and went to the nearest electronic
store to get the latest point and shoot model that I was planning to purchase
for a long time. I did not have any idea about DSLR’s and their capabilities at
that point in time except that they were very expensive and used only by
professional photographers or enthusiasts. My maximum budget was 25K rupees: more
than enough to get me the topmost P&S model with all the latest features.
But as I was looking around, I saw this Nikon D40 DSLR lying around with the
other ‘big boys’. I ignored it at first but something made me turn back and
look at it again (Destiny!!). The price tag read 26K rupees, 1K above my
budget. Something in me made me ask myself that instead of buying a high end
P&S (or pseudo DSLR’s as they were called at that time), why can’t I fork
out 1K more and get the real deal? Negative voices in me started whispering, ‘Dude,
that camera is for professionals and you don’t even know the P of Photography.
Why are you wasting your time? Know your limitations and buy a P&S.’ For
sometime these voices continued until suddenly, some wild impulse made me yell
at them ‘SHUT UP!’ and they disappeared. Without any further thought I made my
decision on the spot and purchased my very first DSLR camera. I felt like a kid
struggling to learn riding a bicycle suddenly confronted with the challenge of
driving a Harley Davidson.

Nikon D40 - My first baby

All my friends were totally baffled by my choice. They knew
that I had a wild streak in me and made unpredictable choices sometimes, but
this really took the biscuit – according to them.

‘Dude, why on earth did you buy this instrument? Don’t you
know it’s for professionals?’

‘Are you planning to work part time for National Geographic or something?’

‘You should have talked to me before going ahead with this
choice.’

These were some of the comments I had to face. But the die
was cast and my destiny was sealed.

The first month was very trying. It was a steep learning
curve for me considering that I was a newbie to DSLR’s and the world of
photography. My first photos came out all shaky and blurred. The menu and
choices available for totally bewildering and I was discouraged by repeated
failures. But I persisted and slowly and steadily began connecting the dots. Since
then I have never looked back. My friends who scoffed at my choice slowly began
to see the huge difference in quality between their P&S and my camera. Now
all of them have DSLR’s (Who’s laughing now? J).

Canon EOS 7D

I started out with a Nikon D40 (with an 18-55mm lens) and
now have moved on to a high-end semi-professional Canon EOS 7D with three high
quality lenses. Photography has become one of my favourite passions. My
Facebook and Flickr page are littered with photographs I have taken all these
years. Now all I need is an excuse to take out my camera and shoot photos at
the drop of a hat. My traveling and touring has reduced a lot at present, but
that hasn’t stopped me at all. My favorite photography model nowadays is my
cute one year old son.

I don’t know what impulse made me buy that DSLR that day instead
of that boring old P&S( That’s right! P&S is boring now! It's like being asked to ride a Luna after riding a Harley / Bullet!), but there is
not a day in my life I haven’t spent thanking God for that decision. My life
has been so much more interesting since I took up photography as a passion. I
am literally looking at the world with a new and fresh ‘perspective’ ever since
I took up photography. My life would have been so much more boring if it had
not been for that sudden wild decision I took that day.

When you are born, the world has already prepared a blueprint
for you and expects you to follow a preset pattern. But there comes a time
when you are faced with two choices: Follow your head OR Follow your heart.
What you do will set the tone for your future life. Enough said.

Here are some of my favorite DSLR photos of all
time which I want to share with you.